Countering Cyberattacks Without a Playbook - NYTimes.com

Final paragraphs from a big-picture perspective

"But that leaves Mr. Obama with a “short of war” conundrum. How much American power should be deployed to stop a cybervandal from becoming a cyberterrorist?

Until the past week, the president’s temptation has been to refrain from responding at all. But the combination of the destructive attack, the effort to silence American criticism of a brutal regime and the threats of attacks on American theaters made this one different.

The mystery now is whether the young, untested Mr. Kim will back off, or whether, like his grandfather, he will push ahead, figuring that an unpredictable North Korea has kept enemies at bay for six decades, and that his new weapon may extend the streak."

Countering Cyberattacks Without a Playbook - NYTimes.com